Electric display device



Filed May 2, 1933I v N. E. LAWRENCE ELECTRIC DISPLAY `DEVIQE V- FEZ..

Aug. 21, 1934.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 1,971,144 ELECTRIC DISPLAY DEVICE Norbert Edward Lawrence, Denver, Colo., assigner to Jewelite Inc., a corporation of Colorado Application May 2, Issa, serial N o. 668,922 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-133) This invention relates to an illuminated display device more particularly for producing animated, illuminated advertising signs, pictures etc., and is designed as an improvement over the display device illustrated and described in copending application, Serial No. 662,281. The principal object of the invention is to provide means which will give an unusual animated light effect which can be employed to simulate various natural animations. y

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efciency. 'I'hese will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing: y

I Fig. 1 illustrates a face view of a typical animation produced by means of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a', vertical section therethrough taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the action of the light rays in the invention.

The design illustrated in the drawing is simply typical of an infinite variety of designs which may be produced by means of the invention. The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises: a housing 10, preferably of metal, .which may have a displayvdevice on both of its faces if desired. The housing as illustrated, is provided with a closed back face 11 and a perforated front face 12. The perforations in the front face may outline any desired subject. As illustrated, a typical beer mug is outlined.

In each of the perforations is a colored jewel or lense which is preferably clamped in place by means of a similarly perforated back plate 13. The lenses are of various colors depending upon the design to be produced. The beer mug illustrated is outlined in blue lenses 14 with its body portion lled in with amber colored lenses 15, and with its foam simulated by a mass of clear jewels 16.

The internal construction is described in detail in saidcopending application, and will be but briefly outlined here. It comprises a rotating lamp wheel 17 carrying a series of lamp globes 18. The wheel isA rotated by means of an electric motor 19 which transmits its power through a flexible belt 20 surrounding the periphery of the lamp wheel. As the lamps 18 move in the rear of the covered lenses.

lenses they impart an animation to the light rays being projected therethrough so as to create a moving scintillating effect. As thus far described, the invention is similar to the invention of the said copending application.

Assuming the lamp wheel 17 to be rotating in a clockwise direction an apparent upward movement will be created in the lenses onthe left side of the face 12 and a downward movement in the lenses on the right side of the face 12. This upward movement in the design illustrated gives the elect of amber colored bubbles rising from the bottom of the beer mug.

If this upward movement were continued in the lenses 16 forming the foam, the effect would be incorrect since the overflowing foam would not nsturally move downwardly. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a reversal of movement in the foam portion of the design. The reversal is accomplished by placing a translucent or diaphanous medium in front of the portion in which a reversal is desired. As illustrated, this medium comprises a plate of frosted glass 21, the bottom of which is cut to simulate the lower line of overflowing foam. The frosted glass 21 is spaced from and in front of the plate 12 as shown in Fig. 2 so as to cover all of the clear lenses 16.

The myriads of light rays projected through the lenses 16 strike and illuminate the frosted glass 21. The areas of illumination on the glass 21 move to the left and downwardly/or opposite to the direction of movement apparent in the un- This creates an effect of overflowing foam which moves over the vtop of the mug to the left and downwardly, directly opposite to the movement of the lamps 18. The reason for this apparentA opposite movement is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 in which a light ray from one of the lamps 18 is diagramed at A as passing through a lense B. It can be seen that as the lamp moves upwardly, the image on the glass 21 will move downwardly.

Another eiect obtained by the frosted glass 21, in addition to the opposite direction of movement, is that an entirely different image is seen on the glassV than is seen through the lens. This image is difficult to describe but consists of a soft, mottled, illuminated effect, the modulations of which are constantly folding and unfolding into eachother over the entire area/with a common undulating direction-'fof movement. This produces an effect impossible to obtain in any other way and for such things as the simulation of smoke, fumes, foams, eiervescents, etc. and other mediums having illuvsive outlines, it is an ideal medium.

'Ivhe lenses may be of any desired form, however, it has been found that faceted, jewel-like, refracting lenses are ideal for4 the above use.

While a specic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, Within the lscope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:-

1. An electrical display device comprising: a housing; a moving light source within said housing; a perforated face in said housing in iront of said light source; jewels carried in the pens forations of said face, said jewels outlining the simulation of a liquid container; other jewels in said face outlining the simulation of foam overiiowing said container; and. a translucent member positioned in front of said latter jewels so as to intercept the rays transmitted thereby.

2. An electrical display device comprising: a housing; a moving light source within said housing; a perforated plate in said housing in front of said light source; lenses carried in the per orations of said face, said lenses being positioned to form the various parts of a picture; and a translucent plate in front of said perforated plate and spaced therefrom, said platen being shaped to cover only definite parts of said picture so as to leave the remainder unobstructed so that the moving eiect on said translucentl plate will be different from the moving effect of said jewels when said light source is illuminated and in motion.

3. An illuminated display device comprising: a moving light source; a translucent member; and a perforatedmember, the perforations of which form a denite design consisting of several parts, said perforated member being positioned between said light source and said translucent member so that the rays projected through the perforations will illuminate said translucent member, said translucent member forming an outline to cover` only a particular part of the design of said perforated member so as to create a different' effect for that part from the remaining parts o said design.

NORBERT EDWARD LAWRENCE. 

